Flügel Aus Gotter
by efreeti
Summary: The conspiracy of Malpercio was only the beginning. Now, Lyude and a young girl from Mira embark on an adventure that will change their lives for better and for worse.
1. Prelude

_Okay, this is my first fanfiction ever, so bear with me on this. I've enjoyed writing over the years, but I've never written a fully fledged story before. I really hope I don't mess this up...'  
Anyway, I do not own Baten Kaitos or it's characters.  
On with the story!_

**_xxx_**

"Thank you…"

His voice was soft, and barely audible. His slender frame softly rocked back and forth from the tiring exhaustion he and his companions had experienced.

A carcass lay cold on the ground as the rooms around them began to tremble and disperse.

He hardly even recognized the events that followed. Most of it was just shouting and running. His companions began to retreat, dragging him along. He reluctantly followed, forcing his aching muscles to move to the pace of the others. He was so tired.

"You're too slow." A gruff voice addressed him.

"…I know." His knees buckled as strong, burly arms lifted him off the ground.

The floor beneath them was almost transparent and looked as if it was going to disappear entirely. Colors of the sky reflected off of the crumbling walls as a large creature beat her wings in impatience.

A dragon. The last of her kind. Her white scales mimicked the clouds around her and danced with the light as she moved her strong body towards the retreating party. Everyone gladly accepted her offer of transport, and mounted her back.

Still in the strong arms of another, the boy, still weary, looked back at the dissipating vessel. His lonely eyes watched solemnly as the Goldoba, the greatest ship in existence, faded into the darkness it had created, never to be seen again.

_**xxx**_

Kalas was the first to get off of the dragon after it had landed at the dock in Balancoire, Mira. He always hated being put in one spot for too long. He stretched out his strong legs and arms, sighing as he did so.

"Damn," he tilted his nose up to the sky, gazing at the soft veil of mist that enveloped the city. "That was quite the adventure…"

Xhela made her way up to Kalas and took in a couple of deep, reassuring breaths. "I'm just happy we made it in one piece. I thought that the Goldoba was going to swallow us up with it." She turned her head back towards the dragon and her fellow comrades. Everyone looked exhausted. Even Mizuti, the endless fountain of energy, had begun to show signs of fatigue.

"The Great Mizuti be invincible to all known things." The girl lifted a white-gloved hand to her breast as she spoke confidently, "Mizuti is incredible, stupendous, fantastic…but the Great Mizuti lacks these attributes when tired. Xhela, it be alright to stay here for a while?"

Xhela smiled warmly and glanced at Kalas who simply nodded.

"That sounds like a wise idea." Savyna replied, gracefully sliding down the left wing of the dragon. "The last battle was tiring. If we want to keep up our stamina, rest is a must." Savyna was always calm and collected even in the face of danger. However, the last battle was more than she had anticipated. She had a terrible headache.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" A rough voice announced from the top of the dragon, he then proceeded by leaping effortlessly to the ground. Kalas swore that the man's heavy frame split the earth in two; the rest tried their best to regain their footing. The heavy man crossed his arms and smirked happily. Savyna held her pounding head in her hand and cursed under her breath.

Kalas sighed. "Gibari, next time, use the wing to get down like everyone else does. It's quiet, efficient, and doesn't cause local buildings to crumble…"

Gibari shook off Kalas' words and looked up at the dragon.

"C'mon Lyude! You're holding us up!" Xhela glared at him. Gibari didn't have the slightest idea as to why though. He was tired, hungry, and he wanted to get to the nearest inn ASAP.

"Sorry…" replied a meek voice. Lyude wasn't completely aware of what was going on just yet. He was still in a culture shock as to what had just occurred a few hours ago on the trail of souls. He didn't even want to think about it. He didn't want to remember the horrors or relive them. He rubbed his tired eyes with his hand and positioned himself on the dragon's wing. He slid down and landed softly to the ground, his gold boots clinking as he stood. Xhela gave him a soft smile and turned to Kalas.

"Kalas, you know this area well don't you? Could you direct us to the closest inn?"

"Sure," he said, turning his gaze back to the sky. The sun had already begun to set. "Follow me."

The inn was small, but it held a comforting, warm atmosphere. Guests softly chatted under a soft candle-lit flame. The party felt a sense of peace, and were finally able to relax. Kalas spoke with the innkeeper, and was quickly presented with two separate rooms. The men and women split up from the party and quickly retired to their rooms.

Gibari didn't even hesitate to change into something more appropriate for sleeping. He plopped his large body on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Lyude sat down on one of the beds. His crimson eyes stared off into space and his head softly sunk down into his chest.

"Hey…" Lyude looked up, it was Kalas who had spoken. He straightened his back and raised his eyes to face his friend. His expression remained blank and solemn.

Kalas furrowed his brow. "I know it's a dumb question, but…are you okay?"

"Yes…I'm okay. Just tired. No need to worry." He gave Kalas a small smile. But anyone could see that it was forced. Kalas had seen Lyude's smile before, and it didn't look like it was etched into a cold, stone face. However, knowing who Lyude was, Kalas simply patted him on the back and turned toward his bed. Lyude was never the kind of person who liked to speak freely about his personal life. He always liked to keep it to himself and not worry those around him. Even if those feelings, emotions, and memories were slowly tearing him up from the inside out.

"Try to get some sleep, 'kay?" Kalas turned to the bedpost and blew out the wax candle, enveloping the small room in darkness.

Lyude still sat in the same place, staring into the vast emptiness of the dark room. It was deathly silent, with the exception of Gibari's random fits of nasal congestion. He sat there for a good twenty minutes before he got up and carefully walked out of the inn and into the misty streets of Balancoire. His feet trudged along on the cobblestone pathways as they lurched and twisted into unfamiliar territories. The night was quiet, and he was certain that he was the only one restless this evening. His head hung low, watching the movement of his feet guide him into the bowels of the city.

"Where am I going…" 

He shook his head. "Like it even matters…"

His feet kept on. Dragging his tired body with them until the ground became soft and the sweet smell of foliage cascaded his senses. He looked up. It was the gates to Nekton, Shrine of Spirits. He stopped to think about this. While Nekton and Balancoire aren't extremely far apart, they do happen to be at least an hour walk away.

"How long was I walking?" His eyes surveyed the dark forest in front of him. Fireflies danced among the treetops and crickets serenaded the night. It was quite peaceful. He stepped through Nekton's gates, and found himself staring at his feet again, feeling lost and empty.

He continued on through the quiet forest, gentle breezes lightly kissing his cheeks as he went. He looked towards the direction of the flowing air. His eyes met up with two trees standing tall, side-by-side. It was almost funny how incredibly different they were. The one to the left was fat around the middle and covered in gnarled, pealing bark. It was a very large and old tree. It's tall branches spread far out to the sky while its roots hugged the dirt beneath it. The tree to the right, however, was graceful and slender. Its skin was smooth and pale in the moonlight and was much shorter than its neighbor. It almost looked like a cherry blossom tree. It certainly did look very out of place growing near the larger, older one.

Lyude placed his gloved hand on the young tree's trunk and whispered to it in a sad tone.

"I envy you. All day long you are at peace, knowing not of war nor hatred."

His memories began to fade back to the events on the Goldoba. His eyes grew hot and began to sting. "She was my mother…all along. She always hid it from me. I was the only one who didn't know…"

_"You maggot! You haven't changed a bit! It must be the 'stone-carver's blood in your veins!"_

"So that's what you meant, brother." He let out a hollow, empty laugh. "Almarde…she was Azhan…which makes me…" He looked up at the tree. Light leaked through its leaves and shined patterns on his glazed eyes. "…A mud-blood. A mutt." He choked on the last words. His knees gave way and he softly fell onto the ground. Hot tears were pouring out of his eyes uncontrollably. His sorrows flowing with them.

"Damn it!" He slammed his hands on the cold earth. His knuckles turned a pale white as he squeezed his hands into fists. He felt his stomach tangle up inside of his gut and cold beads of sweat gathered at his forehead.

**"You knew! You knew all along! Why didn't you tell me?"** His screams echoed in the empty forest. He cried out again.

**"All those times! All those times together with you! I couldn't be myself! I couldn't be your son!"** His cries then turned into loud, and uncontrolled sobs. It wouldn't even be exaggerating to classify them more as screams of agony. His whole body shook with each cry as his face grew hot and red. The tears had long since dried up, but the pain was endless. Again, he lifted his face to the sky.

**"If any god, goddess, or anything can hear me, please, help me! Just send me something! Anything! Show me how it feels to be loved!"**

His breath became shallow and his heartbeat began to slow. His eyes grew heavy and he knew that the price of wondering at the later hours had taken its toll. He slumped down onto the ground, using the cherry tree's root as a pillow.

"Please…help me…" He closed his tired eyes. And just before falling into the endless depths of sleep, he could have sworn, that someone had wrapped their arms around him. Comforting him, like a small child.


	2. Encounters in Azha

**Flügel aus Gotter**

A fanfiction by Keiko

Nihal Desert was particularly hot this afternoon. Of course, it's always "particularly" hot in a desert. Those unaccustomed to the scorching heat and burning rays of the sun probably wouldn't even survive three days in the Nihal. You had to be crazy to even want to go into it. Especially during the day.

Sand scattered as a large, golden pod hovered quickly across the desert's terrain. On closer inspection, you could see that the vehicle was quite the piece of art. It was covered in gold-trimmed patterns and swirling designs. Its occupants were two men. One man looked a bit old and the other happened to be the youngest emperor in the history of Alfard. Of course, to address him as an "emperor" would be a mistake, for the empire fell with its former leader two years ago.

Even after the war between Cor Hydrae, Alfard, and its people, were still suffering. Their nation not only lost a leader, but also became the heart of the enemies operations, leaving it in confusion and chaos. It was not surprising that even after the war, violence broke out and an underground civil war was formed between the people. Since the fall of the empire, many believed that it was time to move away from a monarchy and embrace a new system of government recently developed by scholars in Anuenue. The system was titled "Democracy", and revolved around the popular ideas of the people. Many of the followers of this new form of government were mainly Azhans or poor laborers. However, those that held the upper hand in Alfard's development of technological and governmental achievements believed that the Empire of the Flame should be restored to its former glory. Hatred grew between the idealists and quickly separated the high class from the low class once again.

Alfard was a nation with no leader and no efficient government system. Someone had to step in.

Lyude was still only 18 when his people called him to authority. An authority that he still has trouble comprehending.

It still hasn't been decided as to what system Alfard should follow. Lyude merely classifies himself not as a leader, but more like a surrogate liberator.

He turned his head to the soldier beside him.

"Commander, brief me in on the conditions that the Azhans have been facing. I only heard it in a very small summary."

Commander Azdar, former soldier of the Mad Wolf Unit, was a relentless fighter and a skilled tactician. This quickly caught Lyude's attention and he is now the highest-ranking officer in the military.

"We've been getting numerous reports…" he paused as he took a quick swift from his canteen, "of nature going absolutely mad."

Lyude looked at him curiously. "Nature…going mad?"

Azdar nodded. " Apparently, two days ago, everything just started going out of control. Things like dogs, out of nowhere, becoming rabid. Livestock tearing down their barns, people rising from the dead…"

"Rising from the dead!"

"From what I've heard, yes. An old woman died late last evening, but started walking around and screaming like a maniac this morning. I don't know if it's true or not though."

"My God…" Lyude pondered this situation. The Azhans had always had it rough, but this was beginning to get ridiculous.

"The worst part about it though…is that it's literally become a jungle. I visited the village yesterday morning. Everything was covered in vines and weeds. There are also trees growing too…" He took another swig from his canteen, only to be rewarded with hot air. "Damn it all…"

Lyude removed his canteen from his belt and handed it the general. Azdar nodded in thanks and drank happily.

Lyude slanted his head forward. "Look! Azha has come in to view." His eyes widened at the sight. Azdar was right! The village was completely green! In the center of a desert, there was a large, lush forest!

Lyude stretched his head out further, "What the hell is that!"

The closer the pod approached Azha, the more disturbing the situation became. The whole village seemed to be tangled in a net of plant-life. Most of the villagers were camped outside the village gates in tents. They all looked terribly troubled and fatigued. A few children could be heard playing around the stems of the vines, taking advantage of their newly acquired playground. Besides that however, it was pretty quiet.

A little girl, using one of the vines as a slide, bounced up and down excitedly, pointing in the direction of the pod. "Look!"

Everyone turned their gaze to the approaching pod, smiles spreading on their weary faces. The Azhans liked their new leader very much. Some still had their doubts, but for the most part, everyone agreed that he was a fine leader and a good person at heart.

Lyude and Azdar quickly landed the pod and began to approach the villagers. Azdar quickly saluted the mayor. "Any casualties?"

The old man's face grew saddened as he spoke, "We've lost two. We haven't found their bodies or belongings. The just disappeared. We have no idea what's become of them…"

Azdar nodded. "I will immediately call for backup then to aid in your search."

The old mayor bowed low in thanks. "Thank you. We appreciate all that you are doing for us."

Lyude examined the village gates, his brow furrowing as he thought. He turned toward the mayor. "When did this all start?"

"Only two days ago, your grace. It all just came out of nowhere…"

Lyude gave a soft sigh and cocked up his chin in his hand. These formal addresses still made him feel a bit out of place. "Grace", he had always thought, never suited him. He even had a hard time accepting "sir" in Diadem. He softly shook his head. He could think of these trivial things later. His mind quickly turned back to the problem at hand.

This was all too bizarre, none of it made any sense. He then turned to Azdar, "I'm going in to investigate the matter, you stay hear and protect the villagers."

Azdar looked a bit taken back. "I-I must disagree, your highness! That isn't safe for you to be doing! You know that our nation is far from stable. There are people who aren't very happy with your election, they'll kill you if they get the chance."

Lyude smiled warmly. "Azdar, I really doubt that there are going to be assassins in _this _village…at least not now. Besides, if it wasn't safe, then why did you bring me along?"

Azdar looked a bit confused. "Because you ordered me to!"

Lyude laughed. "I guess you got me there. But I'm still not changing my mind." He then began to walk into the dense forest.

"M-My lord! You must reconsider this! It's too reckless! Man may not be a threat in there, but beast will be! At least wait for the backup."

"You have your orders commander." Lyude turned to face Azdar once more, "Don't worry. Whatever is in there can't be as bad as Malpercio."

"But…" Azdar was beginning to get a little desperate. But he knew that there was no way that he could win this argument.

Lyude smirked; he drew out his sonic rifle from his Magnus deck, and continued on through the village. Azdar rolled his eyes, and cursed the ground in defeat.

"That man is such a child…"

Lyude examined everything carefully, looking for any sort of sign of the disturbance.

"What could the answer be to this problem, I wonder." He thought aloud. He continued to trudge along, rifle in hand, until he saw the slightest of movements out of the corner of his eye. He moved his body around and aimed the gun in the direction of whatever had just moved.

The target screamed. **"AACK! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"**

It was a girl. She looked extremely frightened and fell towards the ground, curling up in to a ball and hugging her knees.

Lyude cautiously approached her. "I'm sorry that I frightened you. I thought you might have been a wild beast…"

The girl turned her head up and glared at him. "A beast? A BEAST! **Do I look like a monster to you!**" Lyude could obviously see that he had offended her.

"No. That's not what I meant…"

She continued to glare at him while he looked her over. Her features appeared to be Azhan, but her clothes were very outlandish. A large, striped sweater, which was obviously too big for her, were one of the many things you don't wear in a desert. Underneath her sweater, were large and fluffy cream-colored sleeves that flared at her wrists. She wore a pair of very small leather shorts, a large contrast to her bulky sweater, and knee-high moccasin boots. Her crimson eyes continued to stare at him intently while her soft, pink hair fluttered gracefully in the wind. It was very long. She had it tied back into a very large and loose braid. She had a tiny frame with small legs and arms. If she stood, Lyude thought, she would be at least a good foot shorter than he. However, he wasn't a very tall man to begin with. Which meant this kid was tiny.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that? Stop it! You're creeping me out!" She was very childish indeed. Her voice reminded him of a spoiled six-year-old.

He sighed. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

She looked down at the dirt. "No." She stood, revealing that she was, indeed, _very _short. "I got stuck in here…and I can't find the way out…"

"I see. Then I presume you are one of the two who went missing. Do you know anything about the other one?"

She put her finger to her lips in contemplation. "No…can't say that I do. I'm just visiting this place, so I don't know diddly-squat about the residents here…" So she wasn't Azhan, after all.

"I see." He gave her a warm smile. "Well, thanks anyway. You should probably be getting back to the village gates. The Azhans have a small campsite there. Come, I'll show you the way." He turned around and began walking back the way he came, the girl quickly ran up to him to catch up with his pace.

She looked up at him. "Umm…thanks for helping me." She giggled, "Sorry for the outburst back there, but you haven't been the first thing to threaten me…"

Lyude stopped. "What do you mean?"

She looked back at him in a puzzled manner. "Huh? Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

She sighed. This guy was hopeless. "All the creatures here, they're going crazy. So far five ceratobus', eight foytows, three lanocaulis', and a really scary looking dog have attacked me! This whole place is a madhouse! It's a miracle that I'm alive to even be telling you this!"

Lyude looked stunned. "That's incredible! How were able to become victorious?"

"Victorious? What are you talking about? I just ran up a tree whenever one came after me."

Lyude mentally kicked himself. _"Duh! As if a child could be able to defeat 16 monsters (and a scary looking dog) single-handedly."_

The girl gave a quick jog and stopped in front of him, examining him from head to toe. She scratched her head and turned her gaze to his eyes. "Who the heck are you supposed to be anyway?"

Lyude raised a brow. This girl really was a spoiled six-year-old. Maybe not in body, but definitely in mind. "My name is Lyude. I'm…uh" He stuttered, he didn't know who this girl was. Lyude was never big on classifying people, but for all he knew, she could be a spy for the rebels. Her childlike demeanor could just, perhaps, be a divergence to gain information.

She mimicked his unfinished answer. "You're Lyude…and you're a…"

"…Uh."

"A what!"

He was getting annoyed. "Dear God, are you this rude to everyone you meet?"

She looked down at the ground, feeling a bit ashamed.

Lyude sighed. He had lost his temper with her, which really wasn't like him at all. It was just something about her that really seemed to push his buttons. "I'm Lyude. I'm a foot soldier. I came to recover the missing people from this village." He lied.

"Oh. Okay." She turned around, placing her hands on her hips, and spun around to face him again. A mischievous smirk donned her face. "Well, Lyude. It's nice to meet you! My name is Cee." She held out her hand to him. He took it, and they shared a quick shake. Her hand was tiny in his, but it got the job done for a simple greeting.

She pulled her hand back and giggled. "By the way, I thought you should know something important."

Lyude smirked, deciding to play along. "And what is that?"

"You…are a terrible liar!"

Lyude's face remained frozen.

She laughed. It was a soft laugh, but it got the point across. He was, in fact, a terrible liar. Always was. Out of everyone on the entire planet, he was probably the only one to use all of the bodily signs you give away while bluffing. So much for undercover work.

She smiled up at him. It wasn't like the devilish grins she was giving him before. This one was clearly different. He looked down upon her. She was…surprisingly…very pretty. He quickly looked away, nudging that thought deep down into the dark corridors of his brain.

"Hmm? Did I do something wrong. Sorry if I was a bit blunt…but you are terrible at lying."

He met her gaze again. "Huh? No, it's nothing. I was just…" he paused. "Hey…are you alright?"

The girl's soft smiled had faded and her eyes were wrought with horror. Her small frame trembled. It looked like she had seen a ghost. "Can't…can't you feel it?"

Lyude's eyes filled with concern. "Feel what?"

Cee looked up at him, wringing her hands together in a nervous manner. Her head darted from left to right before facing him again. "I can't stand this place. These terrible…things…keep surrounding me. I've felt it ever since I came here, but it keeps getting stronger as time goes on…what's wrong with me?" She looked up at him pathetically. Her eyes trembled as they began to fill with shimmering tears.

"Terrible things? What terrible things?"

"I can't really explain it…but…" she took in a deep breath. "It's like; I'm living someone's life while living my own. It feels like…I'm surrounded by a thick cloud of…agony…"

"…Agony?"

She gasped and arched her back in an abnormal function. She pushed her palms hard onto her ears and moaned loudly.

Lyude grabbed her arms and began shaking her. **"HEY! Snap out of it!"**

She wriggled herself out of his grasp, her knees buckling as she fell to the ground, still clutching her throbbing head. Lyude just stood there, dumbstruck. Who was this girl?

She took in another sharp gasp, releasing her head as her trembling subsided. She hugged herself, breathing in long, deep breathes.

Lyude bent down to her level and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "H-hey…are you alright?" His eyes were filled with worry and his head throbbed with questions. "What just happened to you?"

Cee placed her thin hands on Lyude's wrist, turning her face towards him as she did so. "Someone…something really bad is looking for you…" And before Lyude could even ask to whom she was referring to, she tightened her grip on his wrist and pulled him up easily as she stood. Still clutching his wrist, she began to run, dragging him with her. "Where is the exit? We've gotta get out of here!"

Lyude was so confused. What the hell was going on? "The exit…? It's-"

There was a large crash as fire quickly devoured one of the nearby vestiges, causing it to collapse. Cee screamed as the vestige came crumbling down, hitting the ground so hard Lyude swore that it caused the earth to crack in two. Rubble flew everywhere and a large cloud of dust formed and wrapped around both Cee and Lyude, causing them to fall down to the ground, shielding their faces from the dust. The fire continued to burn menacingly, devouring all nearby objects.

Cee looked towards Lyude in desperation. "Please don't tell me that that was the way out…"

Lyude cleared his throat, observing their current situation. He looked back at her apologetically. "How convenient, huh?"

Cee covered her face in her hands, sobbing. **"No way! I'm gonna die in some god-forsaken-jungle with the worst liar this world has ever seen!"**

Lyude simply rolled his eyes and turned towards the fire. _Well…were simply not going to get out this way…_

Something then caught his eye. He stood, and walked towards it.

Cee looked up at him stupidly. "Hey! Where're you going! You can't just leave me here!" She jumped up onto her feet and quickly pursued him. Jogging up a bit to catch up with his long strides. She tugged at his shirt. "You know, you're very rude…leaving a lady behind like that! Just where do you think you're go-"

"SHHH!"

Her face grew pink with anger. **"Don't you 'shush' me!"**

He looked down at her, his brow furrowing. "Shh! I'm serious." His voice was just above a whisper as he pointed his finger in the direction of the spreading flames. "Look. Over there."

Cee's anger subsided a bit and she looked in the direction to which Lyude was so thoroughly interested in. Her eyes widened. Sure enough, there was something there. It appeared to be a figure, standing in the burning flames. "What the heck?"

The dark figure had apparently noticed them, for it began to move its scrawny legs in their direction. Lyude stood straight, concentrating on the figure, while Cee ducked behind him, clutching at his leather coat tails. Lyude raised his right arm in front of her. After all, it was his duty here to protect the defenseless. What emerged from the flames, however, he couldn't have even prepared to imagine.

It was an old woman, most likely a missing villager. How this woman had walked out from the flames, however, he couldn't imagine.

He slowly moved his right arm down, but still remained cautious. Cee began to tremble.

"Are you, perchance, one of the missing villagers?"

The old woman stared at Lyude coldly. Her eyes were frosted over by a sickly white glaze. Lyude was a little drawn back at it, and raised his arm again, pushing Cee farther behind him. The woman responded.

"No…not really…you're a fine young man. What's your name?" She twisted her thin, parched lips into a crooked smile, not taking her eyes off Lyude for a single second.

"Don't do it…" Cee's voice was barely audible. Lyude looked down at her and into her frightened eyes. Cold beads of sweat were gathering at her forehead. "It's a trap…she's the bad thing. The bad someone that I saw…"

"Saw?" Lyude asked her questioningly.

"I saw her…just two minutes ago. She was looking for you…"

"Where did you see her?"

"…My mind…"

Lyude's eyes widened. The pupils inside of his crimson irises constricted and his brow furrowed. "Who are you?"

Cee was about to reply when she was interrupted. The old woman spoke again, this time more vehemently. "You know, you're a very rude boy. Didn't your mother teach you better? When someone politely asks you something, you politely respond." the twisted smile faded as the corners of her mouth began to twitch in agitation.

Feeling uncomfortable, Lyude gave her the name of the first thing that popped into his head. "My name is 'Ash Tray'. I'm a tailor from the capital. I specialize in…fancy clothing."

Cee smacked her head. And she thought his _first_ lie was terrible. That was by far the stupidest thing to ever leave someone's mouth.

The woman gave a short cackle. "I can see that you're still a damned fool. Killing you slowly should prove most rewarding."

Lyude became a bit disturbed. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

The woman smiled at him wickedly. "Really, it hurts to see that you've so easily forgotten me…_ambassador_." She dragged the last word through her mouth like meat in a grinder. Trying to make it stand out as much as possible.

Lyude's eyes widened in horror. "Commander?"

The hag nodded ever so slightly. This was all too much.

"But…how? How did you end up like this?"

"Because you ruined everything. All of our great empire's plans for this disgusting little planet you ruined. Not only that, but because you interfered, I was unable to complete my duties. Once returning home, the emperor had me executed…publicly!" The woman snarled at him in rage, saliva gathering along her mouth. "Why don't you try going through that humiliation and shame! Because of my failures, my family was scorned day in and out until they were brutally murdered by demons from hell! Could you accept that? **Could you accept that you filthy little fuck?**" By this point, she was screaming at the top of her lungs while hot tears streaked down from her eyes.

Lyude remained glued to the spot where he stood. What was happening?

The woman continued. "I wandered this world without a body for which seemed like centuries…looking for you. I finally came to this damned rock and made a home for myself in this old crone's body."

"That's…terrible…"

"If I bring you back with me, even your carcass, I can finally save my family and myself from death. He told me so…" He looked down towards the ground. "So…without further ado, I think I'll kill you now." He twisted the woman's lips into another menacing smile. "Yes…that's sounds very nice, indeed."

There was a quick slithering noise as Lyude pushed Cee away from him. She landed with a hard thud. "Ouch!" She looked back at him in anger, but it quickly turned into shock as hundreds of vines slithered their way up the boy's frame. Lyude cried out in frustration, trying to struggle his way out of the plants' tight grip. But it was of no use, it just made him tired as more vines tightly caressed his arms and legs, pinning him down to the ground. The woman stood right above him, glaring at him, until she bent down and grabbed a snarl of Lyude's hair, yanking his face back. Lyude moaned as he felt the hag spit on his face and could smell her pungent breath as she yelled disgusting curses at him.

Cee scooted back into a rock. _What do I do? I can't just sit here and let him die…but what can I possibly do for him! _A thought struck her. _Wait! Didn't she say that she was killed? Then that means…_ She reached into her front pocket and pulled out her small deck of Magnus. She frantically searched through them, throwing the cards from side-to-side as she searched until she finally found the two she was looking for.

The woman snarled at Lyude as she watched the vines slowly tight around Lyude's neck. He began to struggle breathing, taking in fast, shallow breaths. His eyes began to water.

"How does if feel to die? Not too charming is it?"

Lyude looked up in surprise. The woman frowned and began to turn around, but was met with a cold blade in the center of her chest. The blade dug in deep as Cee forced it into the sternum, dark crimson gathering along her fingertips. "You leave him alone, you stupid, old, fogy!"

The commander glared at her through the woman's dead eyes. "You little turd…I should have killed you first…"

Cee ripped the dagger from her chest, causing her to cry in pain. "Yeah? Well that was a mistake on your part." She drew out her second Magnus.

The hag laughed. "And what do you plan to do with a blank Magnus? Seal me?"

Cee looked surprised. "Wow. You're smarter than you look."

The hag's face grew grave and her eyes widened in fear as Cee placed the Magnus on her bleeding chest.** "NO!"**

There was a bright flash of light as the Magnus absorbed the essence of the commander's lost soul, imprinting it into its magic database and storing the information. The light faded and Cee examined her new Magnus. Like a Polaroid photograph, she began to see the figure of man covered in imperial armor slowly appear onto the cards cover. She smirked. "What a loser."

Lyude gave a quiet cough as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, the vines still hugging his throat.

Cee gave him a quick glance and threw the Magnus on the ground. "Oh! I'm sorry Lyude!" She took the dagger, still covered in blood, and gently sawed at the vines. There was a faint snap as the vines released his neck. Lyude took in a deep breath and quickly entered a coughing fit. Cee rubbed his back in comfort. "There. We're all better now, aren't we?" She glanced over at the vines that had been wringing his neck. Her eyes widened as the plants slowly became brown, curled up, and disappeared. "What on earth is up with this place?" A wave of curiosity covered her face as she watched all the other vines in the village follow suit of the ones that had been strangling Lyude. They vanished into thin air… as if they had never existed at all.

**_xxx_**

_There you go. The first chapter! I'm so proud of me! -  
This took me quite a while to write up. Sorry if its a little long. _


	3. Cake and Promises

Ack...I'm so sorry about the slow update. I'm really not the fastest writer in the world.  
Anyway, please enjoy! I worked really hard to make this and I hope you all like it!-

**_xxx_**

Lyude, age 17, was exhausted this morning. The last night had been merciless and didn't grant him a wink of sleep. His eyes stung with weariness, but fortunately his legs were spared. They carried him through Mintaka's dock effortlessly. It was at this moment that he was slightly glad about his rough training in the military. Only slightly, however.

He sighed and breathed in the crisp morning air. A soft smile formed on his face. Only at the dock could you hope to obtain such refreshing air. Anywhere else and you would just be granted with lungs full of smog.

He paused for a moment, and shifted through his Magnus. It would be an awful shame to be unprepared. It would take days to arrive at Diadem and re-stock. It was a definite that he should overlook the deck; just to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

He nodded consent of approval. "Looks like everything is in order." He snuggly tucked the deck into his breast pocket; it would be a shame to lose it. Gingerly, he stepped into a small, imperial boat, which had been provided for him. The boat was still connected to its gallows-like post by a thick rope that was tied to the ship's side. Lyude began to untie it, loosening the resistant knot.

"Lyude!" His head jerked up away from the knot at the mention of his name. He stood and glanced over at the approaching figure. It was his nurse, Almarde. He stepped out of the boat to meet her. When she caught up with him, she rolled her head down, gasping for air. A thin layer of sweat had gathered at her forehead. She must have run here all the way from the house!

"Almarde, what are you doing here?" Lyude asked curiously.

She looked up at him and smirked. She spoke to him slowly, still breathing deeply. "I'm surprised at you, Lyude! I taught you better than that, don't you know how to _properly_ greet a lady?" Lyude gave her a sad smile; she pulled him into a tight embrace, kissing him on the cheek. She was crying now, Lyude had never seen her cry before; she was always so well collected. She pulled away from his embrace and gave a soft giggle. She began to adjust his collar, smoothing out the wrinkles as she spoke. "You're not going to let this poor woman see you off? That's very cruel of you…" She pushed the back of her hand gently against her face, wiping away her tears. "Enough of that." She reached both hands to the back of her neck and unclasped a thin chain around her neck. "I have something to give you…" She pulled her hands forward, holding the small necklace in front of her. It was a very simple piece of jewelry, nothing fancy in the least. Its chain was dull silver that barely reflected the bright sun; its pendant didn't hold fascinating qualities, either. It was a light pink stone that had been carved into a triangular shape and connected to the chain by a small ring. In a nutshell, it was bland and wouldn't be a very good idea to give to a lady-friend in hopes of getting closer. But there was something, Lyude thought, to be very endearing about it.

Almarde looked down at it with a mixed expression of disappointment and sorrow. "I know it isn't something a boy would usually want and it probably isn't worth anything of value…" she sighed, "But it's been in my family for generations. When I came to live in Mintaka with your family, my mother passed it down to me. It's supposed to offer protection and wisdom. Its very special, and I know it will bring you good fortune…"

Lyude shook his head. "No, Almarde. I couldn't accept something like that." He smiled at her. "Besides, you coming to see me is enough of a gift."

By now, the tears in her eyes were beginning to re-gather. She gave a couple of quick sniffs. "Please," she winced at what she was about to say, "I've never been able to have any children that I could call my own, and I never will. I was never able to see the gifts that having children offered, until you. I cannot help but think of you as my own son…" Her tears were flowing freely now. "Please, I'm begging you to accept it! Keep it with you…please…do this for me. I'll never ask anything of you again."

Lyude bit his bottom lip, trying to make sense of what just happened here. "Okay, Almarde. I'll take good care of it." His voice was a little shaky. He leaned his head down as Almarde clasped the two ends of the chain together around his neck.

Almarde smiled up at him, caressing his cheek with her palm. "I love you."

Tears began to run down his cheeks, tickling Almarde's fingers. "I love you too, Almarde." He buried his face into her chest, choking back his sobs. "Thank you."

_**xxx**_

Lyude's eyes fluttered open. He stared up at the smooth ceiling, his bare chest rising and falling as he breathed. He placed his wrist on his forehead and shut his eyes in annoyance. He moaned. His whole body seemed to ache as he struggled to figure out how he got from Azha to his bedroom. He sat up and began to massage the back of his neck, a necklace chain scraping at his skin as he did so. "My life just doesn't seem to make sense anymore." He threw his legs over the bedside and pushed back the blankets carelessly to the back post. He sighed, and stood. It was going to be a _long_ day.

_**xxx**_

"Wow! You guys are amazing!" Cee stared wide-eyed at the beautiful, chocolate cake that stood before her. It was as big as a wedding cake and was covered inch-by-inch in rich, fluffy frosting and sugar sprinkles. It was quite a sight to behold!

"Is it to your liking?" asked one of the nearby servants.

Cee smiled a devious little grin at him. "Well I dunno…I haven't tasted it yet!" With that said, she rolled up her sleeves and shoved her hands straight into the cake.

The servant was shocked. "Uhh…M-miss? Wouldn't you rather prefer using silverware?"

Cee shook her head violently. "Nope! I don't need it!" She then shoved a large handful of cake into her mouth. Frosting and cake crumbs coated her pink cheeks and she smiled happily. She gave the servant a frosting covered thumbs-up. "It's delicious! You guys really don't mess around when it comes to cake! Yum!" She licked her lips and shoved more of the cake into her mouth. The servant gave a quick bow and quickly backed away from the table and into the hallway. What appalling behavior! A lady should never act in such a way.

Cee continued to stuff her face with cake, licking her fingers after each handful she grabbed. She smiled with delight, disregarding the footsteps approaching the now messy table.

Lyude stared at her and the cake, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. "What is all this?"

She held up her finger and continued to chew her sweet treat. She swallowed and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "I'm eating. What's it look like I'm doing?"

"I know that, but…" He stared at her, utterly confused, "Why are you eating a giant cake, of all things? In fact, why are you even here? This place isn't open to the public."

Cee slid her chair back from the table and stood up fleetly. She walked over to him and placed her hands on her hips. Lyude looked down at her and was met with an icy glare.

"Is that how you treat your rescuer! I saved your life you know! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be around, so quit acting so high and mighty!" With that, she flung her nose up, and away at him. She crossed her arms. "Some people actually appreciate what I did and offered me whatever I desired as a reward. I was hungry and had a hankering for chocolate cake. So there!" She turned her head and stuck out her small, pink tongue at him.

The corner of Lyude's eye began to twitch. This kid was driving him crazy. But, even though he didn't want to admit it, she had a point. The girl had saved his life, he wasn't absolutely sure as to how, but she did. He sighed deeply, embracing his defeat. "Alright, my apologies for my previous behavior. I really do owe you my sincerest gratitude." He gave a light bow, "Thank you, Kee."

Her face grew bright red. "**ITS 'CEE', YOU IDIOT**!"

He frowned. "Look, I really appreciate what you did, but this is getting ridiculous. Your mother is probably worried about you, you should be heading home."

"How old do you think I am! **EIGHT! **Quit treating me like a child!" she fumed.

"If you're going to act like one then I'm going to treat you like one!" Lyude's voice was rising. He was beginning to lose his temper.

"At least I don't have the brain capacity of a walnut! I may be childish at times, but even I can memorize a one-syllable name!" She began to mimic his previous actions. "Thank you little girl for saving my life, but in reality, I really don't give a damn about you or your name because all I care about is my personal image! HA, HA, HA!" She then began to give fast bows left and right. If this were done in another situation, it would have been quite comical.

"How dare you!" He had definitely lost his temper at this point. "You think I don't care what happens to you or my people? Fine, think what you want! It doesn't change a thing! If I had died yesterday, the world would still go on, but I wouldn't be here for Alfard! I keep trying to tell you just how grateful I am for you giving me the chance to continue fighting for my homeland. But nothing I do is good enough for you!"

Cee lowered her head in shame, she was about to speak when she was cut off by two large hands (at least they were large in contrast) gently caressed hers. She looked up into Lyude's kind eyes. He spoke.

"Let's start this meeting over." He gave her a warm smile. "Let's be friends, after all, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Cee felt her face grow hot, and quickly moved away from him. She turned around, and nodded. "Okay."

Lyude let out a sigh of relief. "Wonderful!" He walked over to her and bent down to her level of height. "So, Cee. What would you like?" He let out a quick chuckle, "Besides the cake, I mean."

She continued to stare at the floor as she spoke. "I've bothered you enough, haven't I?" She jumped a bit when a hand was placed reassuringly on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about what just happened. I think we _both_ were acting like children. I really must reward you."

"Well, there is something…" she began to twiddle her thumbs. "I'm trying to find my family."

"Were you separated from them in Azha?"

She shook her head. "No, the reason I was in that village was because I was looking for them. I don't know where they are…or even who they are, for that matter."

Lyude looked at her, an expression of bewilderment on his face.

She sighed, she would have to explain everything to him, now. "I was adopted, just two years ago, in Mira. I've been living there since…but…up until then, I don't remember anything. Not a single thing."

"I see, but how did this bring you all the way to Alfard?"

"I live on a peach orchard with my adoptive grandmother. Every week, I go to the capital to sell the wares. I meet a lot of people going to and from the city, and naturally, we get to talking. Eventually, I'll tell them about my situation, asking for advice as to my biological families whereabouts. Every single person I've spoken with says I hold a striking resemblance to the people in Alfard, especially the Azhans." She threw up her hands, praising herself. "And now I'm here."

Lyude nodded, but gave her a glance of worry. "Did you run away from your home in Mira?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Heck no! I love my home. Best place on earth! It was my Grandma that suggested I check this place out. Of course, if she knew that everything was going to become psycho, she might have suggested something else."

"Mira is a day's travel away. Did you come here by yourself?"

She simply nodded.

"Aren't you a bit young to be traveling alone, though." He said this in sheer curiosity, but again, she took it the wrong way. She frowned and puckered her bottom lip.

"I've had enough!" She then swung her finger at him. "How old are _you_?"

Lyude cocked his head. "Me? I just turned twenty."

"Well 'Mr. Mature', I happen to be only five years younger than you. So quit giving me baby-talk!"

"You're 15!" Lyude was completely astounded. He knew she was older than she appeared, but his wildest guess was that she couldn't be no more than 10!

"Oh, don't act so surprised! They don't even allow kids under 13 to travel alone. How else would I have gotten here?" Again, he had been outwitted.

There was a large "banging" noise as the large, golden doors were swung open. Cee jumped about five feet into the air, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

"Pardon my intrusion…" It was Azdar. "But something of dire importance needs your attention, highness."

Lyude nodded. "Understood." He turned to Cee, who was giving the commander a wicked glare. "Cee, I beg leave of you. Might we be able to continue this conversation at a later time?"

"Sure, but what am I supposed to do until then?"

He smiled. "Whatever your heart desires."

_**xxx**_

Computers hummed and beeped restlessly in the large security room in the imperial fortress. The large water-sphere, the source of security and information, floated softly, held in place by a strange glowing force. No one really understood how the thing worked, but at least it got the job done.

Azdar was pacing to and fro in the room, his hand held over his dark face in contemplation. "From information we have just received, it seems that the incident in Azha was only the beginning."

"What do you mean? What information?" Lyude was casually leaning against the wall of the room, he was quite used to surprises like this by now.

Azdar quit his pacing, and went up to the control panel, located beneath the sphere. His fingers moved swiftly against the keys, speaking as he searched the computer's memory. "We've been receiving reports from the other nations, apparently the phenomena we encountered is happening everywhere…" He struck a final key, and a large hologram was projected up into the air.

Lyude stared at the image with surprise. "This is…" What he saw was a small village that looked like an overgrown lawn. The grass was stretched high. Thin vines tangled along the houses, much like it had in Azha.

"The farming hamlet of Cebelrai, in Sadal Suud. You can see that the condition here isn't as bad as it was in Azha, but it still has been quite troublesome." Azdar struck another key hastily, bringing up the next projection. "Another case, this time on the cloud passage in Diadem." It was quite a sight! The only living things that could survive on the Diadem's cloud passage were small carnivores that fed off of each other. But here, it appeared to be just a foggy path in a lush forest! Again, another projection was brought up. Azdar simply sighed. "…And finally, in Anuenue, at the Celestial Tree. The plant-life here is increasing, but otherwise nothing too bizarre, unlike the others. The odd thing here is that there have been complaints of thunderstorms, which is rare for Anuenue. People have also been reported 'missing'." Azdar clicked a final switch, shutting down the computer. He placed his palms on the desk and hung his head low. "The council has requested to have an assembly immediately."

Lyude massaged his temples. "Then we shall attend and discuss what is to be done. At what time have they requested the gathering?"

Azdar fingered at the pile of papers lying across the table, and pulled out a small, yellow sheet. "They have requested it to be held…in Sheliak, on Monday at noon."

"In four days, hmmm?" He stroked his chin and gave a slight smirk. "Yes, if we leave early tomorrow morning we might just make it in time."

Azdar bowed, "Then I shall make the arrangements immediately." With that, he proceeded out of the room. Lyude followed suit.

_**xxx**_

"Boring!" Cee mumbled as she kicked the dirt. "You'd think a place this big would have something interesting to offer. But noooo… All that's here is sweaty men and army stuff." She stomped her foot and grunted disapprovingly. "This place sucks! When is that guy gonna be done talking? At least he was _vaguely_ amusing…" She then turned around quickly on her heels, the cold floor squeaked in response. She then took big steps in the direction she just came. "Maybe he's done…I should go find him."

She walked down the fortress's twisting hallways, back to the dining hall where she had made a run-in with the emperor. Lyude, in her opinion, was really weird. He also didn't seem to be that smart. She giggled. "Heck, even I outwitted him…and that's just _sad_!" Her mind continued to wander. 'Aw, well. No one's perfect. Though it's a good thing that he's pretty attractive, otherwise he would have nothing to stand by.' She stopped in her tracks and began to shake her head furiously. "ARGH! Where did _that_ thought come from?"

"Where did what thought come from?" Lyude was standing right in front of her, which made her wonder just how much he had seen.

"Heh, heh…Oh, don't mind me. Sometimes my mind just goes out to lunch." She said nervously.

Lyude raised a confused brow at her. "Uh huh…" He approached her. "I was actually looking for you. I have a quick question to ask you."

She cocked her head. "What is it?"

"Yesterday, in Azha, you said that you could see things inside of your mind. What did you mean by that?"

She blinked a few times and then switched to a sly, little grin. "You wanna know about that? My, aren't you nosy."

"My apologies, but I really am quite curious. Are you, perchance, a psychic?"

"What? I'm no psycho!" She glared at him furiously and began to shake her fists. "I may be different, but that doesn't give you the right to-"

Lyude held his hands in front of his face, sheltering himself from the girl's screams. "NO! That's not what I meant!"

She lowered her fists, but still continued her vicious glare. Glaring seemed to be one of her strong points.

"When I asked if you were a psychic, I wasn't asking if you were crazy…"

"Then what were you asking?"

He sighed. "I was just curious if you were someone who has extremely high levels of mental energy. A psychic!"

Cee looked a little surprised, and a bit embarrassed. "Oh! That's what you were talking about. Heh… I thought you were making fun of me." She paused for thought, clicking her heals together. "You know, I don't really know how I did that…"

"…What?" Lyude slightly slumped over, conversations with this girl always end in confusion.

She put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Well, what's something you're good at?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just tell me!" Her face was only inches away from his as she gave him a look of disapproval.

"Uh…well…I suppose I'm alright in the area of music…" Lyude said nervously. He didn't like being this close to people.

She backed away and gave him a warm smile. "Well, an easy way to explain my talents are to compare them with yours. You're good with music, and I'm good with auras."

"Auras?"

She giggled. "Yup! Auras! I don't really understand the whole concept myself, though. I think it has something to do with spiritual energy."

Lyude simply nodded. At this point, it was better _not_ to ask.

"It's just something that I do, y'know? Like you and music, you can't really explain why you're good at it, it's just something that you do." In some odd, strange way, she was beginning to make sense. "Enough of that, though. We need to finish our earlier discussion. I've decided what I want you to do for me."

He gave a slight laugh. Her bluntness could be quite comical. "How true. What would you like then?"

"Your this county's leader, right? Which means you must know a lot about the people living here, right?"

He nodded.

"Then you can help me find my family!" She sported a huge smile and began jumping up and down excitedly.

His eyes saddened at the request. "I'm sorry…but I don't think that will be possible at this time."

Cee ceased her jumping, her once excited eyes clouded with dismay. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Something urgent has come up, I must leave the nation first thing tomorrow morning. If my predictions are correct, I will not return in at least a week. However, I could probably get a soldier to escort you."

She hung her head low. "But I saved your life…not one of your soldiers' lives…"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot help you at this time. Things are just too chaotic." He had to admit though, he did feel a little guilty. "Once things calm down, I would gladly help you then."

Cee looked up at him, still looking a bit crestfallen. "Where are you going exactly?"

"To Diadem's capitol. I'm to attend a meeting there."

"Diadem, huh? You know, I don't think I've been there before…" She gave a slight smile and clapped her hands together. "I just got a great idea!"

Lyude sighed, what was this girl plotting now?

"I can go with you to Diadem! Maybe someone there will recognize me, and when we're done there, _then_ you can help me look _here_!"

Lyude thought this over for a moment, Her plan made sense, even if it wasn't elegantly conceived. However, there was one drawback. It would take three days to get to Diadem, and three more to get back. From previous experience, usually, a meeting would only consume a single day. He shook his head. "No, I don't think that would work. We would really only be there for one night, and then we would just come back here. It would be pointless."

"You don't know that! Something might come up! Maybe the ship will spontaneously combust and we'll be stuck in Diadem for a month! Or, maybe a heat wave will hit us and dry up the ocean! You never know!" Cee got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around Lyude's ankles. "Please take me with! I promise I'll be good! Please, please, please, please, please! With a cherry on top?"

"I really don't see a point to. You'd get more done if you just stayed-"

"**PLEASE, LYUDE! PLEASE!"** By this point she was wailing at the top of her lungs.

"OKAY, OKAY! I'll take you with, just stop screaming!"

Cee jumped to her feet happily and proceeded with a very bizarre "victory dance". "Yay, yay, yay!" She then jumped into his arms, giving him a tight hug. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

Lyude felt his cheeks grow hot. "Umm…you're welcome…"

This was going to be a most peculiar trip.


	4. Who's Almarde?

Oh dear...I'm terribly sorry about the lack of updates. I had the worst writer's block in the world!

Well, I'm on a roll again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! 

****

**_xxx_**

Cee was humming a soft, melancholic tune as she bounced her way to the port. The sun was bright and cheerful and cast elegant beads of light against the ocean's surface. She took in a deep breath and smiled.

"Ahh! What a beautiful day!" Indeed it was. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. The air surrounding her was comforting and warm, with a slight breeze. Her humming quickly progressed into a whistle. She wasn't very good at whistling, and could only form noise when inhaling. She stopped and coughed and decided to go back to humming.

In her front pocket was her deck of magnus, she reached for it and took it out, examining it.

"Okay! Let's see…rice…cheese…some kebabs…water, AHA!" She reached for the card and put the rest back from whence they came. There was a soft glow of light as she drew out her first edition camera. She giggled. "Every aspiring photographer needs their practice, and what a place to practice!" Still walking, she randomly clicked the shutter button at whatever she found to be interesting. Alfard, being so different from Mira, was found to have a _lot _interesting things. She found herself clicking the button for just about every step she took.

They didn't call Mintaka the "City of Gold" for nothing. Almost every structure was adorned with the rare, yellow ore. Or at least something that mimicked it. There was also a plethora of people going about their business in the cobbled roads. In fact, a man had started calling her "nosy" when she tried to snap a picture of his arthritic fluff-pup. Once he had turned the other direction, she stuck her tongue out at him and carried on towards the port.

It took her a while to find the specific dock she was supposed to meet Lyude at. The port seemed to have hundreds of different docks, all, of course, looking exactly the same. But a few questions (and a couple snapshots) later proved to lead to her destination.

A large "o" formed on her face at what she saw. It was a passenger ship of ample size complete with elegant, swirling patterns on its hull. Cee raised the camera up to her face and peered through the viewfinder. She pressed down on the shutter, only to be met with resilience.

"What the…" She glanced at the stubborn button. To its right, the pointer stick on the meter was pointing to "0". She glared at the camera. "Stupid 'not having enough film' camera!"

"You made it! I was beginning to worry if you had gotten lost."

Cee turned her eyes away from the camera, and towards the man addressing her. Lyude was standing just a few meters away from her. She sighed, and returned the camera to its magnus, storing it with the others in her pocket. "It would really help if you'd put up some signs. It's almost impossible to navigate through here."

Lyude chuckled at this and simply carried on. "Have you got everything you need? We won't reach land for 72 hours, it would be a shame to be unprepared."

"I'm fine. Plus, you're an emperor. I'd think I'd have enough stuff with you around."

He smiled and gave her a quick nod. "We are to depart in ten minutes. Make sure that you are…absolutely prepared."

"You mean like, go pee now or in the crappy ship stall?"

"Uhh…yes…make sure you do that."

"I already did at your big palace thing."

There was a bit of an awkward silence until two people began to approach, giving them a slight wave. To the left was a tall, elegant woman who appeared to be approaching her middle thirties. She wore a rather large and puffy, opaque pink dress with a cone-shaped bonnet. She was slightly thin with bright brown eyes and a soft smile adorned her round face. To the right was obviously her daughter, as the two looked almost identical. Of course, this is with the exception of age. The girl was dressed in a more casual dark, gray dress with a laced boddess. Her hair was burnt sienna and held in pigtails with two, red bows over her ears. She was blushing furiously and slightly hiding behind her mother. Cee reasoned that she was most likely around her own age.

"Lyude! What a pleasure to see you here. Off again on business I presume?" Said the woman in a throaty voice.

"Ms. Loliana, the pleasure is all mine." He gave her an elegant bow. "I am just getting ready for my departure to Diadem for a meeting. Out of sheer curiosity, what brings the two of you here?"

The woman, Loliana, placed a reassuring hand on here daughter's shoulder. "Scalla here is going to Anuenue to study."

"Really?" Lyude said, sporting a big grin. "Oh, Scalla you'll love it! All I've heard about the school is esteemed praise."

"Y-y-yup." Replied Scalla, her blush deepening.

Cee raised a brow at the girl and slowly nudged away from the two strangers and closer to Lyude. It was at this time that she was finally noticed.

Loliana shifted her glance away from Lyude and towards Cee. She squinted her brows together, forming little lines in her forehead. "Lyude," her hand gave a sweeping gesture towards Cee. "Is this one of your relatives?"

Cee's eyes widened. "What?"

Lyude was also taken aback by the remark and began shaking his hands back and forth in front of him. "Oh, not at all. This is Cee…" He paused to think for what he would say next. He really didn't know too much about her. "…A friend."

Cee glared at him through the corner of her eye, obviously noticing the long pause.

"Hmmm…that's odd." Loliana said, stroking her chin as if she was trying to work out a puzzle.

Cee looked at the woman with astonishment and jumped forward. "You! You recognize me!" Her face grew more hopeful with every passing nanosecond.

Loliana squinted her eyes in deep concentration and turned towards Lyude. "Are you sure she isn't related to you?"

Lyude nodded. "Positive. I don't have any family members outside of Alfard. Even so, most of them are already deceased."

"Well, if you say so." Said Loliana, turning to face Cee and then back again towards Lyude. "But if I do say so myself, I'd say that she's the spitting image of Almarde when she was younger. The resemblance is unmistakable." Lyude froze. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Cee looked puzzled. "Who's Almarde?" When she didn't get an answer, she tugged on his arm. "Hey, who's Almarde?"

"Oh dear…" Loliana put her hand up against her lips. "You're still sensitive about it, aren't you? I'm terribly sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No…it's alright." He gave Cee a quick glance. "She does look a bit like her, doesn't she?" He said this more to himself than to Loliana, who looked very guilty.

"Your magnificence…" No one had even noticed Azdar approach them. "Forgive my intrusion," he gave a quick bow, "but everything is in order. We are ready to proceed."

Lyude simply nodded and faced the two women standing before him. "It was wonderful running into you, ladies, but I'm afraid I must be on my way."

"Alright then, you take care of yourself. You hear me?" Loliana always acted very motherly to anyone younger than herself. It was kind of sweet, really.

"I will, thank you. And Scalla?"

Scalla jumped a bit. "Mmm…yes?"

"Good luck at the school of magic."

"Thanks." She smiled. She cared for him quite a bit, but she never bothered to say anything about it.

With that, Lyude turned away from them and started making his way to the ship. Cee followed closely behind him. _Who the heck is Almarde?_


	5. Raging Waters

_Yes, I know I am lazy. Sorry I kept you all waiting. I'll try to be a more dilligant writer from now on._

_I'd also like to say thanks to my reviewers for putting up with me. You guys are so wonderful. Thanks so much for reading._

_Enjoy. _

_**xxx** _

With elbows propped up against the railing of the ship, Lyude slumped down and stared at the vast blue of the ocean. It only felt like yesterday when there was nothing but clear sky to fill the emptiness that surrounded the five islands. Now, there was eternal blue. He watched, hypnotized, as the waves lapped at the air, leaving a puff of salty water in their wake. He breathed in deeply the ocean's fresh aroma; clearing his head and making his eyes water. He couldn't recall the last time that the world had seemed so beautiful, so pure. It was as if all problems could just drown away in the ocean's depths.

Lyude sighed, "I wish they would. I'm getting tired of all of this." He always knew from the start that becoming the ruler of Alfard would provide him with a few…complications. He was willing to accept that, but lately things have been getting out of hand. Notes describing crude "death threats" had become particularly popular. Not only that, but a few previously wealthy Mintakans had decided to form a band of rebels dedicated solely to the extermination of "his majesty". Someone of high intelligence must run the group, for no one can identify who they are or where they meet. It remains clouded in mystery.

Lyude rubbed the bridge of his nose, quickly growing frustrated. "As if I already didn't have enough to manage. Now, a world crisis is dawning." He sighed and bit his bottom lip, "When is it ever going to end?"

POOF!

"Ack!" Lyude's pupils dilated at the sudden burst of light. He looked at the direction of its origin, and found an undulating blob of pink and blue.

"Hey, hey, hey! I found some more film. Aren't I lucky?"

As Lyude's eyes began to readjust, he began to see the face of a short girl sporting a big smile at him. Cee. He rubbed his throbbing eyes.

"I thought I'd come and hang with you for a while. There's nothing to do here on this dumb ship. I need to keep myself occupied, otherwise I'll explode." She began rocking back and forth on her heels, as if waiting for the emperor to do something. By now, Lyude's eyes were back to normal. He looked at the girl with a sense of bewilderment. Cee's eyes became a bit downcast. "…What a bore." She leaned back, and plopped her butt down on to the ship's sleek wood paneling. Lyude wasn't sure what to say to this. Instead he just stared back into the void. Cee took out her deck of magnus and began to shift through it…for the tenth time.

"Who's Almarde?" She said without even removing her gaze from the cards. When she was met with silence, she put the deck down and tugged at the man's coat. "Hey! Who's Almarde? You never told me."

A soft gust of wind hit the ship. Tendrils of red gracefully floated and danced around Lyude's smooth face. His expression did not change. "She is someone I once knew." He turned downward, his eyes meeting Cee's. "Why are you so interested?"

A rather uncomfortable feeling swept over the small girl. She quickly turned her gaze away from him. "Well, that lady that knew you said I looked like her…so I thought…"

"She isn't your mother, if that's what you're thinking."

Cee swallowed the lump that was growing in her throat. "How do you know? The lady said I looked just like she did when she was younger."

"I heard, and I must admit that there is a vague similarity. But…Almarde was barren. She could not bear children."

Cee was beginning to grow desperate. She was not going to let the chance of finding her family slip away. "Well, what if she did?"

Lyude's stomach began to churn. "That would be impossible. She was in an accident when she was young."

"What kind of accident?"

"She was with her father in the Azhan mines. She was giving out water to the miners, when the cavern caved in on itself. The rocks that fell on top of her shattered her pelvis. She was able to recover, but the bone had re-grown in such an odd manner that it rendered the idea of birth impossible. She once did become pregnant, but the child was so horrendously deformed that it died in a matter of hours."

"Damn it." Cee stared at the floor blankly. "For second, I thought I was on to something."

"Cussing isn't ladylike." Cee replied to this by sticking out her tongue and returning back to organizing her magnus.

"My magnus suck. All I've got is food, blanks, and a dumb ol' dagger." She continued to shift through the small deck of cards. "Small Kebab. Water. Medium Kebab. Fondue. Cheese. Blank. Blank. Blank! And what the heck is-" She stopped and studied the magnus. Lyude tried to get a glimpse of it, but Cee held it up close to herself. "Hey! I know what this is. I got this in the village when everything got all tipsy-turvy!" She then decided to hand the magnus to Lyude. "Remember that nasty lady? The one that tried to kill you? I caught their magna essence!" She beamed at him with uncontained pride.

Lyude snatched the card from her and stared at it. Sure enough, there was his commander from the gruesome episode in Diadem. But the image on the magnus was…well…bizarre. His commander was there, standing tall and proud in the foreground. But in the background, there was a series of cascading bars, each differing in terms of length but equal in width. They also seemed to be glowing. It was very faint, but recognizable. Lyude's voice was a bit shaky, "How did you manage to…"

She smiled at him. "What? Put him in a magnus? It was easy. He said he was dead, right? Which meant that the body he was inside didn't belong to him. Which also means that if he has no protection, then he can be captured."

Lyude arched a brow and looked around.

Cee sighed. "Okay, think of it this way. There's this frog that is hungry for a butterfly. Unfortunately for Mr. Frog, all of the butterflies are still in their cocoons. The cocoons are poisonous, but the butterflies inside are delicious. So, he took one of the cocoons and slammed it against a rock." She shoved a fist into her open palm as an emphasis. "The cocoon split open, and the butterfly was defenseless. So, the frog ate it."

Lyude stroked his chin. "Alright then…am I to guess that you're the frog, the cocoon is the woman's body, and the rock is the blade?"

"That's exactly right!" She began to jump up and down with excitement.

"I see. I suppose that that makes sense. But what about the infestation of those mobile vines and trees?"

Cee, still smiling, raised her finger and opened her mouth to say something. Her smile slowly turned upside-down and her eyes shifted from right to left. She put her hand down. "I _don't_ know."

Lyude looked down at the magnus again. "I hope this meeting will provide me with some insight."

"I'm rather curious myself. But don't forget your promise. You've gotta help me find my family afterwards."

Lyude gave a soft, light-hearted laugh. "Alright, alright." He handed Cee the magnus, but she just shook her head.

"You keep it. It doesn't do me any good."

"Oh. Alright then." With that said, he tucked the magnus into his breast pocket.

"Hey, Lyude?"

"Yes?" He looked towards her again. Now, she held a large amount of concern on her face and was shifting her eyes as if she was being watched.

"Does something seem a little off about this boat?"

Lyude looked around. "No. I don't believe so. Why? What's wrong?"

"Well," she continued to observe the area, "I got a bad feeling when I got on the boat. But it was so faint that I just decided to ignore it…but now, I'm really starting to feel something pretty bad."

Lyude began to grow a little worried. "You mean, like the feeling you got in Azha?"

She nodded. "Yeah…it's not as bad, but it's up there."

"What does it feel like?"

She stopped her scanning and looked directly at him. "Hostility."

A large rumble and banging pierced through the calm of the bright day as wood and other debris was hurled across the boat. A cloud of smoke and dust covered the area as tongues from a seething fire branched out in hunger. Cee screamed and covered her head with her arms. The force of the explosion shook the entire boat and pushed Cee and Lyude to the ground. Lyude raised his head and stared at the smoldering crater the explosion had left in the back part of the boat. "The engine…someone sabotaged the engine!"

Cee removed her hands from her head and started to tremble. "What does that mean? Are we going to die out here!"

Lyude shakily stood, and walked to the area where the destruction had occurred. The fire was spreading rapidly, so he made sure to keep his distance. He looked down into the crater. "Oh…mighty…God…" Water was beginning to seep into the bottom of the boat. The explosion had created several ruptures in the once sleek wood. He raised his hands to his head, wrenching his crimson hair in between his fingers. _Could anything be worse than this?_

"LOOK OUT!"

Lyude turned around to see himself staring deep into the barrel of a gun. Adrenalin began surging throughout his veins and he cocked his entire body back. The bullet was shot, but Lyude had already removed himself from the gun's range. Using his palms, he pushed himself back so as to stand on his hands. He wrapped his legs around the body of the gun, and pulled back. The weapon was shot out of the attacker's grasp and rocketed backward, where it hit the edge of the boat with a thundering 'crack'. Lyude pushed himself up on to his feet, jumped, and crashed the heal of his golden boot into the other man's face. The man fell to side, hitting his skull against the ground. Making sure that he wasn't going anywhere, Lyude stepped on the man's gut, pinning him down. It was the pilot. He began to sputter as a small stream of blood started running its course down the side of his mouth. Lyude stared at the man in disgust. "I take it that you are one of the rebels. It must have been very quick thinking on your part to decide to board this ship. I am to presume that you murdered the original pilot and took his place. Correct?" He dug his heel deeper into the man's abdomen. The man looked like any other person his age. A very run of the mill sort of fellow that usually never could have been categorized as having a violent personality. In fact, he looked very mellow and timid. A nice kind of guy you would like to go out and have a drink with, not a destructive assassin. The man groaned and cursed under his breath.

"You…wer…weren't supposed to be…aah…so s-s-strong."

"Maybe so, but ten years of military training will often do that to a person."

The man gave another groan. "I…I…just wanted things to go…back t-to normal."

Lyude squinted his eyes in annoyance and removed his foot from the other man. "Normal, hmm?" He walked away and back towards Cee who was still cowering on the floor. He helped her to her feet. "Are you alright?" She nodded and looked back at the man who was the cause of all the terror. He was clutching at his throat and gagging. Spittle was running down his chin, forming wet foam.

"Lyude!" she pointed at the gagging man in horror.

Lyude turned to see the man and rushed over to him. He placed his hands on the man's shoulders and shook him. "What's happening to you!" But with a final sputter, the man stopped his trembling and rolled his head off to the side. Lyude's attention was quickly drawn to the man's hand, where there were a few small white pellets. He picked one up and observed it. The corner of his mouth began to twitch, he through the pellet angrily away from him. "Cyanide."

Cee quivered in response when a loud alarm began to pierce the air around them. It was a deep and aggressive noise that was repetitive and excessively annoying. "I don't think that's a good sound."

Lyude rose quickly to his feet and ran to the front of the ship at breakneck speed. Cee followed him quickly up a small flight of stairs that led to the navigational area. Inside was a colossal wheel. Lyude grabbed it, pulling it fiercely to the left. At least, he tried to. He pulled with all of his might, grinding his teeth together. The tendons beneath his skin tightened like steal bars on his arms. He released the wheel and let out an exhausted breath. "I…(pant) can't get it to move…(pant)."

Cee situated herself beside the wheel, placing her hands on its lower half. "If we work together, I bet it'll move. On 'three', I push, you pull. Okay?"

"Okay." Lyude returned his hands to the wheel. "One…two…THREE!"

The two pushed and pulled with every bit of strength that they could muster. Their faces began to grow red with strain and glossy sweat began to envelop their arms and foreheads.

"Don't…give…up." Cee yelled through her teeth. _We can do this! I know we can!_

CRACK!

It was the wheel! The wheel had finally begun to cooperate!

Cee fell over in exhaustion, breathing heavily. Lyude desperately wanted to copy her actions, but he had a ship to steer. "My apologies, Cee. But I do not believe we are going to get a little sidetracked."

Cee stood and looked in the direction that had caught the man's interest. In the vicinity, there was a small island growing a bit larger with every passing second. "What's…?"

"Sadal Suud." He reached for a large lever and quickly pulled it down. A small black window began to flash "warning, warning, warning" in bright red letters, but Lyude paid it no mind. "The engines down, which should stop the chance of another explosion." He reached for an even larger lever that was painted with a lovely gold color, and pulled it up. There was a loud zipping noise followed by what sounded like someone hitting a giant rug with a racket.

"What the heck was that?" Cee ran back to the door of the room and peeked outside. "Whoa!" Sails, the color of snow, were already starting to catch the wind and give the ship a much-needed push. Then she was greeted with another sight. The back of the ship…was sinking! "Holy crap!" She ran back into the room and grabbed at Lyude's coat. "Oh God, I hope you know what you're doing because the entire ship is going to sink into the ocean at any minute now!"

There was a large cracking sound as on of the rear masts splintered and crashed into the unforgiving waves of the sea. Cee ran to the door to see the mast's last moment as a part of the once magnificent ship. "YIAAAAAH!" She ran back to Lyude, this time slapping his back. "Hurry or we're dead!"

Lyude kept staring intently at the island. Lips tightened and brows furrowed, he provided the approaching island with his undivided attention, completely ignoring the flashing "warnings" that the black screen was giving him. _We'll make it. We'll make it. We'll make it._

There was another crack as the second mast fell from the ship. Cee started to scream while running back and forth like a caged animal desperately trying to escape.

The island was growing closer and closer and Lyude could make out the outline of a beach…a rather _rocky _beach.

A third crack rang out as another mast tumbled down into the ship, tearing apart most of the floor. The ship shook violently, knocking Cee to the ground. Lyude hung tightly to the wheel, losing his footing for a moment, but quickly regained balance.

"We're dead. We're so dead." Cee hugged her knees tightly.

There was a huge bump that emerged from the ship's bottom, followed by a sickening ripping noise. The bottom of the ship had just about completely ripped off by one of the shore's rocks. Lyude's hands began to tremble. _So close…just a little longer…please! _

Another monstrous rock emerged to confront the ship. Lyude steered as hard as he could to avoid it, but was only met with a crash. With that single hit, the entire ship began to fall apart bit by bit. More rocks dug their blades into ships body, tearing it apart until there was nothing left. The floor beneath the room collapsed, taking Cee with it. She screamed, but was quickly muffled by the raging water.

"CEE!" Lyude tried to go after her, but the remains of the ship collided with a boulder of mammoth proportion. The force of the collision sent Lyude flying backwards through the window and into the unforgiving waters below.

**_xxx_**

_Oooh...cliffhanger. I hope you guys enjoyed this. Personally, I really don't think that writing is my forte, but I do try. This story is my baby, and I'm waaaaaay too lazy to make a comic about it (at this time), so writing was my only option. XD_**__**


	6. Sadal Suud

Here you go you guys! The long awaited sixth installment.

Sorry that I have'nt been the most diligent of writers. I'll try to be more on the ball from now on.

**Oh, and as a reviewer pointed out, I forgot to add paragraph breaks. He he, whoops. **

**I recently just added them.**

**_xxx_**

Is he dead?

Maybe…

All of his clothes are gone. Ha ha! I can see his butt!

…

Ooh! Here, poke him with a stick!

You're not very respectful to the dead.

"…augh…"

Holy crap! He's alive!

Barely…we should get him back to the village.

Shouldn't we get a grown-up first?

I'm grown-up enough! Here, I'll take this arm, and you take that one. We'll pull him, okay?

Okay…Geez, this guys heavy! What'd he have for breakfast? Rocks?

Just shut-up and pull!

**_xxx_**

The air was silent except for the occasional chirping of sparrows and buzzing of a few cicadas. Through a glossy window, a single beam of light nudged itself into the simple room. Its light shined brightly on a sleeping form, glistening on the owner's smooth lips. Crimson eyes slowly fluttered open and blinked as they absorbed the golden light. Lyude tenderly pushed his soar body upright and into a sitting position. He gave a soft moan, and fell against the bedpost. He hovered his hand over his abdomen. His fingers met with soft gauze. He looked down to see the fabric wrapped around his lower belly.

"My god…I'm alive."

"Indeed. You are quite lucky."

Lyude's body jerked, causing the wound hidden behind the gauze to burn. Lyude grit his teeth.

"Oh dear. Please do forgive me for startling you. It was not intended, I can assure."

Lyude looked toward the direction of the voice. "You're…the doctor Kalas knew."

The old man nodded. "I am Larikush, and yes, I do know Kalas. Though I am afraid I do not fully remember you. Will you enlighten me?"

Lyude smiled. "Yes, of course. My name is Lyude Ephret…I'm from Alfard."

Larikush placed his knobby fingers on his chin. "Ahh yes…they're new emperor." He looked towards the young man in front of him. "Well, looks like you passed the amnesia test. But I hope you don't mind me asking…what's an important person like yourself doing washed up on the shore of Sadal Suud?"

"Well…" Lyude tried to regain his thoughts, replaying the previous events in his mind. "I was on a ship, going to attend a council in Diadem when…" His eyes widened, "CEE!" His mind re-played the scenario when the young girl was thrown of the ship, her scream muffled by the furious waves.

Larikush was a bit drawn back by the man's sudden outburst. "There was another with you?"

"Yes! A young girl! She was thrown off the ship when it crashed into the shoreline." Lyude threw the layer of blankets off and stood, ignoring the wound on his belly. "I have to go and find her…where are my clothes?" He paced the small room in a search for his missing garments.

Larikush placed a reassuring hand on the other man's shoulder, and then walked towards a large dresser. He pulled out one of the large, wooden drawers and removed a few articles of clothing. "Here. When you were brought to Cebalrai, you had nothing on your body, with the exception of that trinket around your neck." He handed the clothes to Lyude, and then took the necklace's pink stone into his fingers, examining it. "Rose quartz…interesting thing for a man to adorn his neck with."

Lyude paid no mind to the comment and thanked the doctor for the clothes. He began to dress himself, and then he realized something peculiar. "Doctor…these clothes…"

"Ah, I know what you're thinking. Yes, they are from Alfard. They used to belong to me, but as time wore on, I began to hate them."

"Hate them?" Lyude chuckled at this, "They're practically brand new! It's like you only wore them once or twice."

Larikush sighed. "When I moved to the capitol with Kalas' grandfather, I was given them by the tailors at the imperial fortress. I wore them for the first day of my staying there, out of being polite. But, to me, they represented the difference between myself, and the rest of Mintaka. I am from Azha, dressing me in pretty clothes will never change that. After that, I never wore them again. I simply didn't feel right wearing them."

"Doctor…"

Larikush cleared his throat, "Besides, the looked _awful _on me! I had never felt so self-conscious in my entire life!" He turned towards Lyude, who was adjusting a black tie on his collar. Covering the tie was a textured, maroon vest, which formed a slight "v" at its end. Underneath the vest was a cream suit shirt with buttons on its cuffs. The pants were a long cacki material that flared at the bottom, hiding Lyude's bare feet so that only his toes were visible. "Hmm, on you it looks much nicer. But, you'll probably be wanting footwear."

Larikush returned to the drawers, this time digging around a bit more. He found an excessively dirty looking shoebox. He blew on the box's cover, causing dust to go flying everywhere. He immediately drew his fist to his mouth and gave a few hard coughs.

Opening the cover of the lid, he revealed two golden slippers.

Larikush stared at one of the slippers in disgust. "Filthy. I really should dust this place more often."

He patted the sandal with his palm, sending dust flying in all directions. The same procedure was done on the second slipper.

Shooing away the dust with his hand, the doctor handed the slippers to Lyude. "They're not much, but they are comfortable, despite their outward appearance."

Lyude placed the slippers on the oak floor, and slipped his feet into their openings. He stood straight and wiggled his toes inside of the slippers. The doctor was right, they were comfortable.

A stabbing pain brought Lyude back to the reality of the situation. He cursed, and staggered back to the bed and sat.

Larikush, not looking the least bit surprised, walked over to where the other man was sitting. He reached into a back pocket, pulling out a small vile, which appeared to contain a small amount of water. "Lift up your shirt."

Lyude grimaced as he did so.

Larikush lowered himself down on to one knee and slowly began to remove the gauze. When he had finished exposing the pale skin, he uncorked the small vile and poured it over the large, stitched gash.

Lyude tensed up for a moment, but then slowly began to relax. The pain faded just as the tension had.

Larikush placed the cork back inside the vile and wrapped the gauze back around Lyude's abdomen. "Better?"

"Yes…the pain is entirely gone." He looked at the small vile in the doctor's hand. "What is that?"

Larikush placed the vile back into his pocket. "Water. From the spring in the woods."

**_xxx_**

Oooh…

Cee tiredly pushed herself up off the ground. She was soaking wet and…the ground was even wetter. She opened her tired eyes to see that she was lying in a giant puddle.

She moaned and moved the wet hair away from her face. She tried her best to stand, but kept finding herself collapsing back into the shallow water. Eventually, she gave up and leaned herself against a boulder. She sat there for a good while, staring into space. Strangely enough, she didn't hurt anywhere. She was just tired.

"I guess…I should consider myself lucky…or this is heaven." She tilted her head upwards and stared at the large amounts of foliage dancing in the spring breeze. Light shot down between the cracks of the leaves and elegantly rested on the water's surface.

"Pretty…"

She closed her eyes, and was consumed by the darkness of sleep once more.

**_xxx_**

"The spring?"

Larikush nodded. "I only use it when it's absolutely necessary, however."

Lyude stood, twisting his lithe body. Nothing. No pain at all. "Why? It's utterly miraculous!"

The doctor sighed. "Yes, I'll give it that. But…"

"But what?"

"There's something…evil about it."

"How you mean?"

Larikush once again removed the vile and stared at it. "It's just a feeling I get. A little voice in my conscious warning me about its unknown dangers. It really isn't a miracle elixir. It's more of a drug. It doesn't heal you; it only makes the pain disappear for a certain amount of time. And, like any drug, I'd imagine that it would have some ghastly side effects." He placed the vile in Lyude's hands. "Though in this situation, keep considering it as a blessing. The likelihood of your friend's survival is low. If I were you, I wouldn't even bother searching."

Lyude frowned.

"Pour a small amount over the wound when you begin to feel the pain again. And don't push yourself too hard. The pain may be gone, but the wound is still there. You wouldn't want it to reopen."

Lyude thanked the doctor, and shoved the small vile into one of his pockets.

"Good luck to you as well." Larikush quickly added. "You'll need every last bit of it to get around through the hell that has surrounded Sadal Suud."

Lyude arched a brow at this, not knowing exactly what it meant. When he opened the door to leave, however, he understood every word.

The hamlet was in the same condition that Azha was in. Overgrown foliage mingled among the huts and barns.

"Heaven help us…"

**_xxx_**_  
_

_Erde? Erde! _

Hmm…?

_Erde, why have you forsaken us? _

What are you talking about? Who are you?

_We are the trapped ones. We are the sufferers and the damned. Why have you done this? Why have you harmed us so?_

Done what?

_Left us here to rot._

Where?

_Here. Everywhere, with no shells._

This is crazy! I don't even know what you're talking about!

_**DON'T LIE TO US!**_

Cee awoke, gasping for air. Her whole body ached and burned. She tried to move, but could not, for she was entwined with vines that clung to her like steel wires. She screamed.

"Oh God! Stop it! You're hurting me!"

_No._

The water in the pool began to twist and turn as wind circled hard around it. The wind pushed the water up into its cyclone and began shaping the water like clay into the form of a human being. Cee just stared, petrified with fear.

Still maintained by the wind, the figure walked towards the frightened girl. Cee's hair flew more and more wildly with each step the figure took. It finally stopped about a yard away from her. Though it had no eyes, Cee could tell that it was staring at her. She began to tremble

_All we wanted was rest, and a new beginning. Why have you abandoned your shell? Why have you forgotten us?_

Cee started to cry. "I really, _really _don't know what you're talking about! Please! Just let me go!"

The vines around her body tightened, making her scream. She felt as if she were about to be crushed.

"**HELP!"**

**_xxx_****  
**

Lyude jumped. He darted his head back towards the doctor.

"Did you hear that?"

Larikush looked at him, a bit confused. "Hear what?"

"It…sounded like someone screaming."Larikush shook his head. "No, I didn't hear anything."

Lyude stared hard at the ground. He could have sworn that he heard the screams of a young girl. A young girl like-

_HELP! _

"Cee!" He started to run towards the direction the voice was emanating from. It was her, he was sure of it.

He stopped at the entrance of the village, breathing hard. He listened for another scream.

_KIYAAAH! _

It was coming from the forest.Lyude inhaled deeply, trying to prepare himself for whatever was coming next. As he ran, he wondered how in the hell the doctor couldn't hear Cee's screams. With each step he took, the screams became so loud that they began to pierce his ears. He winced at the painfully loud sounds echoing within his eardrum and slammed his palms over his sensitive ears. But it did no good. If anything, it almost made the sounds louder, like the noise was actually originating from his own mind. It hurt, and was driving him crazy.

Though his legs were already numb from fatigued, he pushed them on.

The trees overhead seemed to stare down upon him luminously as he ran. He thought, for a brief moment, that they were mocking him.

All the meanwhile, the screams were getting louder, so he knew he was on the right track. It was at a ruined temple, however, where he had to regain his bearings. He leaned up against a stone pillar, breathing heavily and letting his neck fall to rest on his chest. A few blue birds flew by; their angelic whistles mingling with the screams of his lost companion. He took notice of a small puddle on the ground and plunged his face into it. It was deep, and he drank ravenously. He had forgotten how dry his mouth had grown to be.

He dipped his hands into the clear, cool liquid and splashed the rest of his face with it. This cleared away much sweat and heat that had gathered there.

He stood himself up, feeling a little shaky. "Come on, feet." he whispered to his throbbing legs.

He jogged to the opposite end of the temple and continued on a small, lushly green pathway.

"I'm not who you think I am! Just leave me alone!"

Cee? Her cries for help no longer rang loudly inside of his mind; he could actually hear her now. Which meant she, and whatever was holding her captive, were _very _close.

He crept slowly to the end of the path, and himself behind a large weeping willow. He peered over the tree's fat trunk to get a glimpse of what the situation was. Fat, green vines were restraining cee while her captive stared at her. She was…talking to herself? And her captive, what's wrong with them? Wait a minute…

Lyude squinted his eyes at the form.

Is that water?

The sound of Cee screaming threw him off of his train of thought and coursing back into reality. Not entirely sure of what was to be done; he reached for a large stone that was slightly embedded in the tree trunk's roots. Pulling his arm back, he hurled the stone across the spring. BOOM! Right in to the middle of the creature's head.

The thing stumbled and fell over, but it didn't seem to take any severe damage. After all, it was just water.

Lyude took this opportunity and ran towards his friend.

Cee's face lit up like a light bulb at the sight of him. "Oh my God! You came!"

Lyude didn't respond. He was too busy pulling on the thick vines. They were too thick to break by hand, and he didn't have a knife or anything of the sort on him. Not wasting anytime thinking, he sunk his teeth as hard as he could into the hard plant, and pulled. There was a loud snapping sound. Lyude hoped it was the vine and not his jaw.

Cee screamed again. Lyude turned around to see, and was smacked in the face. Hard. The impact sent him flying shortly through the air and finished by causing him to roll across the ground until he rammed in to a tree. His head throbbed like a hollowed drum as he slowly got on all fours and lifted himself back up. He brought his hand to his head, checking for blood. He was surprised that he was still conscious. So was the water that had hit him, and began to chase him. Lyude turned around and began to run. His legs were wobbly and he couldn't see very straight. All the while, the creature was gaining on him.

As he continued to run, Lyude noticed that the ground was becoming more and more slippery. He was having a hard time trying to run and keep his footing at the same time. The thing behind him was doing even worse. It was almost like it was…sinking!

'That's it! Mud! Mud will pull it down!'

He then saw a swampy mud-hole, and dived into it. The water creature followed suit, but never resurfaced.

Panting, Lyude pulled himself out of the sticky muck. He was covered, head to toe, in dirt, slime, and algae. He even had small twigs poking out of his hair.

He reached for a small tree branch and pulled himself up, only to have it snap and fall on him.

Lyude grunted angrily, pushing the branch off of him. "I _hate _this place."

Once he had finally gotten himself to stand up right, he scooted his way back to the spring. As he got closer, he could hear the pathetic yelps coming from Cee, who was apparently still tied up.

"Lyude? Lyude! Answer me!"

Lyude pushed the bushes encircling the spring aside. "I'm okay C-"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Lyude slammed his palms over his ears again.

"PLEASE DON'T EAT ME LAKE MONSTER!"

"Stop screaming! It's just me!"

"Lyude?" There was a brief pause and then, "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Oh my God! Look at you! You look like someone that died, came back to life, and died again!"

Cee continued to laugh insanely. Lyude simply rolled his eyes and submerged himself into the spring water. When he resurfaced, his face and arms were a bit cleaner, but his hair and clothes were another story. He then felt around for a rock that was sharp while Cee was ending her long laugh by giggling and even snorting. Once he had found a proper rock, he cut Cee free from the grips of the vines. Cee stood there for a moment, expecting them to disappear. They didn't.

"So, are you all right?"

Cee nodded. "Yeah, I think so." She then jumped into his arms, totally disregarding the fact that he was still covered in mud.

**_xxx_**

To my dear reviewers:

**Golden Vixen:** Wow! Thanks for all of the comments. I really appreciate them. I hope I didn't make you too mad during the looong wait for this chapter.'

**jellybeanz225: **Yes, Cee is very childish. I began this story when I was 15, so I'm not picking on anybody's age. The reason for her childish attitude will be explained in later chapters.  
Don't worry, there will be plenty of romance later on.-

**Forceuser3 the Jedi Master: **Yup, that was him. Your comment on Bush made me laugh. Thank you.-

**Kioji:** Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

**PHOENIX CLAN SURVIVOR: **Really? Thank you! That makes me feel awesome.

**Rebbe:** I'm just trying to make the story more interesting. But I can understand what you mean.

**Toki Kishitani: **Thanks for the review Toki! And a double thanks for being such a great bud here and on DA.-

**Sweetbriar:** Thanks a million for your constructive criticism and compliments! (blush) I will keep your advice in mind.

**turquoisefox: **Good geuss, but nope. Cee isn't Almarde's reincarnation. I won't say anymore about her identity. You'll just have to wait and see. Mwa ha ha ha!

**CelebrenIthil:** LOL. Thanks for looking at my online gallery. Lyude won't get wings for a looooong while, though.

**DeumendoGirl: **You got it!

**Willowren: **LOL. Yes, she can be bratty at times. Thanks for reviewing me. (I love your stories!)-

**memumbo:** Thanks! I'll do my best.

**Wings of Heart:** Thank you!

**Ice Seraphim: **Thanks, I will.


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